South Korean oil tanker makes 19th Red Sea transit, returns via Suez Canal

A South Korean oil tanker that loaded crude at Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port has safely passed through the Suez Canal in the northern Red Sea and is now heading home. It is the 19th vessel to transit the Red Sea for crude transport since South Korea resumed such shipments, and this time it used the Suez Canal rather than the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait to the south.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Tuesday that as of 10 a.m., the tanker had loaded crude at Yanbu and safely passed through the Suez Canal on its way back to South Korea.

The vessel marks the 19th case of Red Sea crude transport the ministry has publicly tracked since announcing the resumption of such shipments. The ship took the northern Suez Canal route rather than the southern Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a decision made by the shipping company and cargo owner.

While the tanker navigated the Red Sea, the ministry provided close monitoring, navigational safety information and a real-time communication channel linking the ministry, the shipping company and the vessel to ensure the safety of the ship and its crew.

The ministry said it will continue to oversee Red Sea crude transport by South Korean vessels and maintain support measures to stabilize the country's crude oil supply.